A family in Lungujja, Kampala, is in deep distress after Mengo Hospital allegedly refused to release the body of their son, Jessey Kiberu, citing unpaid medical bills totaling Shs 64 million.
According to Brian Kalenge, the family’s legal representative, Kiberu had been suffering from a mental health condition and went missing from home nearly three weeks ago under unclear circumstances.
He was later found and taken to Mengo Hospital in critical condition, where he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Kalenge explained that the family was devastated to learn that Kiberu had succumbed to multiple organ failure, which doctors attributed to substances allegedly introduced to his system during his time away.
The hospital informed the family that his treatment had involved costly detoxification and intensive care procedures, leading to a significant accumulation of charges.
Initially, the hospital requested a payment of Shs 30 million to facilitate treatment. However, following Kiberu’s passing, the amount reportedly rose to Shs 64 million.
Through a community fundraising effort, the family managed to gather Shs 25 million, hoping it would suffice for the hospital to release the body and allow them to proceed with burial arrangements.
To their dismay, during a meeting held on Wednesday morning, hospital authorities allegedly declined to release Kiberu’s body until the full balance was settled.
Kalenge described the hospital’s stance as painful and unjust, saying it had prolonged the family’s grief and denied them closure.
When contacted for a response, Mengo Hospital’s managing director, Dr. Simon Peter Nsingo, said he was in back-to-back meetings and would respond at a later time.
The incident has drawn criticism from health rights advocates, who argue that detaining a deceased person’s body over unpaid medical bills is not only unlawful but also a violation of basic human rights.
Ruth Ajalo, a lawyer at the Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD), said such actions are indefensible under Ugandan law.
“This is a gross violation of human dignity,” Ajalo said. “Hospitals have no legal right to detain bodies of the deceased over outstanding bills. If there is a genuine claim, they should pursue it through civil litigation, not by holding grieving families hostage.”
Ajalo referenced a 2023 landmark judgment in which the High Court ruled against Jaro Hospital for detaining a 14-year-old boy over an unpaid bill of Shs 4 million.
The court declared that medical institutions, regardless of ownership status, do not have the legal mandate to hold patients or bodies over unsettled fees.
That ruling followed mounting public concern during the COVID-19 pandemic, when several private hospitals were accused of detaining deceased patients’ bodies until families cleared outstanding medical bills.
Legal experts and human rights organizations have since campaigned for tighter regulation and enforcement to prevent similar incidents.
As the Kiberu family continues to grapple with grief, their efforts to recover Jessey’s body for a dignified burial remain stalled.
Advocates warn that unless such practices are decisively addressed, more families may suffer similar indignities in moments of profound loss.
